At Her Majesty's service
by viv-heart
Summary: Historical AU – 16th century; KidLaw, privateers – the Queen's pirates, Law is a nobleman who joins the crew of X Drake on his trip to haunt down and rob Spanish ships. Kid, a pirate, is forced to sail with them on their journey around the world in order to save his crew. Be prepared for adventured, romance and weirdly twisted historical events. more notes inside
1. Prologue

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

There are some things that have to be made clear about this fanfiction. I will say it only once: here. So the Author's notes will be short in the future, mostly explaining stuff if there is something more than one person wants to know. So please bear with it now.

The plot is vaguely based on real historical events, namely on Francis Drake's trip around the world.

It isn't historically accurate and a lot of things were changed or adjusted to my needs and the One Piece universe. As sources often have different opinions anyway, it really is only the route.

The characters who were named after pirates from that era became pirates from that era with their positions and everything. But I have added and changed some, who weren't there. Of course, there are some who don't have such a counterpart (like Law or Kid). Here is a list with the character's name and the historical person I have chosen as their counterpart if you want to look them up.

Nami – Elizabeth I. , Queen of England

Nojiko – Bloody Mary, Queen of England

Franky – Dr. Matthew Barker, shipbuilder

Usopp – Adam Dreyling, cannon caster

Basil Hawkins – John Hawkins, privateer, later bursar of the royal marines

X Drake – Francis Drake, privateer, politician and merchant

Spandam – Thomas Doughty, English noble

Cavendish – Thomas Cavendish, privateer

Boa Hancock- Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland

Doffy – Philip II. King of Spain

? - Duke of Medina Sidonia, Spanish noble

Shandia – native Americans

I have planned this story in two parts. If the second will be published will depend on how popular this stuff gets and how much time and energy I will have. The first part will be about 9 chapters, the second probably 4. I can promise you that the first 9 will be published for sure.

The story will concentrate mainly on plot, but it will include mostly KidLaw with hints of others, but these won't come to surface more than once or twice in the entire work.

There are parts you can skip that are not necessary for the plot but involve these other ships. I have marked them and put a warning in so you see them.

You are allowed to kick my ass if the updates take too long (more than 2 months a chapter).

Please review and tell me what you think. It really is important to get feedback and helps a lot in the case of writer's block. If you don't understand something, ask. I will try and explain it to you.

Disclaimer for the complete work: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda. The plot is inspired by historical events.

Betaed by Ventusio. Thank you for that (: (and for the title xD)

Please enjoy :)

* * *

**Prologue**

**England of the 16th century – the country prospers under Queen Nami. **

**Thanks to her, stability and wealth finally came to the people after the suffering her sister, the Bloody Nojiko, has brought over them.**

**However, this golden time wouldn't have happened without a certain group of people – without the privateers serving the Queen and fighting against Spain under King Donquixote Doflamingo.**

**The first of them, Basil Hawkins, didn't bring many treasures, gold, silver or spices. **

**No, the goods he brought were even more important – information. **

**Information on how to conquer the sea, where to sail and how to act towards the Spanish colonists. **

**It was worth even the fiasco that lead to the end of his career as a pirate and him becoming the royal marine treasurer.**

**This opened new paths and led to what became one of the most remembered events of Nami's reign.**

**On one hand, his nephew, X Drake, could step into the spotlight and become one of England's most successful men. **

**On the other, Hawkins himself could stay back and engage in planning the war against Spain, using his fortune-telling abilities.**

**As X Drake relied on those abilities more than anybody, he asked Hawkins for advice before his long planned expedition and the answer was clear:**

**He needed a man, a man who would turn the fate of the trip around.**

**And this man's name was Eustass Kid.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Nothing." Hawkins whispered. He watched the man sitting opposite him carefully. X Drake's face was stern, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why do your cards always predict that our ships will sink? Or that we all get killed?" the ginger muttered. "We have considered changing literally everything and still nothing happens. Only the reason for our failure changes. But it stays a failure!" his voice became louder and louder with every word, the frustration of the past weeks finally coming to the surface.

"Maybe something is simply missing." a gentle voice came from the back of the room. Robin. Of course.

"We didn't hear you enter." Hawkins was looking directly in her eyes. Something other people didn't dare to.

"I am sorry." a soft smile played on her lips.

"What were you talking about?" it was uncharacteristic for X Drake to be impatient.

"A man." the raven beauty replied, not intending to say just a word more.

* * *

"So what exactly are we waiting for?" Law glanced at Hawkins, who was staring out of the window. The two men have been summoned by the Queen herself to attend the secret meeting about X Drake's planned trip to America.

Law, a rich nobleman, an Earl to be concrete, was one of the main financial supporters of the 'expedition' and was going to take part himself, while Hawkins, previously a privateer, possessed the widest knowledge about the matter and X Drake wouldn't go to such a trip without his promise of good luck.

"The cards told me, that today the man we need will come." the blonde answered, not even turning around as the massive door opened.

Law glanced over his shoulder, but turned back to Hawkins immediately as he realized that the newcomers were just some guards.

"And who is it?" the nobleman's patience was running short by now. They have been postponing their departure for weeks already.

"We will see." Hawkins finally looked at his younger companion. "We will see."

"Your Majesty!" one of the guards called out, jumping away just in time, so Nami, the Queen of England, would pass him without running him over. She was closely followed by one of her closest counselors, Lady Nico Robin.

"Law! Hawkins!" she called out, walking up the bunch of stairs leading to her throne.

"Your Majesty?" both men bowed, showing her their respect properly. Even being her favourites, they didn't dare to risk the anger of her or any of the stricter counselors for that matter.

"Take your place." Nami commanded, surprising the two men as it always meant that she wanted to impress or intimidate a guest. But what kind of guest? Maybe the man they were waiting for?

Law's questions were answered all at once as Roronoa Zoro, a man famous as 'The pirate hunter Zoro' and the Queen's current lover, entered.

The Earl couldn't help but smirk. He could have guessed that she wanted to impress him of all people. As Nami's personal doctor together with Dr. Chopper he knew about their game more than enough.

However, his face went blank, as he realized that Zoro didn't enter alone. Four guards were following him, a chained man in between them.

Law stared at the red-haired brute, who was being forced to fall on his knees by the guards. Especially his eyes were fascinating, holding an intensity he hadn't seen before nor believed to exist.

"Oi, Nami!" Zoro addressed the Queen directly, not minding the etiquette and making the poor guards flinch.

"How many times do I have to remind you to address me properly?" the Queen glared at the man in front of her.

"Whatever." he shrugged glancing over his shoulder at the prisoner. "This man is Eustass 'Captain' Kid." he gestured towards him "He is the Irish pirate who attacked our ships on the way to the New World."  
Law felt Hawkins tense next to him and couldn't help but to frown at the new piece of information. He had heard the name before and that meant the man was quite famous and dangerous.

Silence fell over the audience room, the tension striking.

"You may leave." Nami's command towards the guards echoed through the hall. Confusion could be seen on the faces of those addressed, but they didn't dare to question or disobey the Queen.

Kid on the other hand was smirking.

It was hard to believe, that somebody so close to death would dare to provoke those, who would decide his fate, in such a manner.

"Piracy is a serious crime and all those attacking English ships shall be hung." the Queen spoke as soon as the door fell shut. "And you, you are known as the worst of all. A true heartless criminal."

"You have no right to talk about "crime"!" Kid growled, holding Nami's stare. "Nobles... Slaves... Human shops... Against the "purity" of these "upper classes", the villains of the world look positively humane in comparison. It's because the world's in the hands of scum like them that it's all screwed to hell... I mean, we're not the nicest of guys, but at least we're honest about it."*

Nobody said a word. They all stared at the chained redhead without as much as a movement, waiting for Nami's reaction. Even Zoro was holding back, waiting for further instructions.

"You are right." the Queen finally admitted, still looking at the redhead, who barely managed to hide his surprise at the statement. He didn't expect that.

"But have you ever considered, that I don't do it for myself?" Nami almost shouted. "Have you ever considered, that I didn't chose it? Have you?!" she fell silent for a moment. "I bet you haven't." the last words were barely a whisper.

Kid wanted to say something, but was immediately cut out.

"Shut up!" her voice was harsh.

Law could tell that she had a headache. What an unfortunate idiot that pirate was.

"Eustass Kid, have you ever sailed to the New World?" Robin spoke up out of the sudden, her face unreadable as always.

The redhead nodded hesitantly, finally looking at somebody besides her Majesty the Queen.

"We have found our man." Robin announced, smiling in the special way of hers

"You can't be serious!" Zoro was the first to wake up from the shock. "The most brutal and ruthless of the pirates sailing England's coast?!"  
"He is also the most successful one." Robin replied, watching Nami carefully.

The Queen seemed to be in deep thoughts, contemplating about the raven's words.

"Eustass Kid" the ginger turned directly to the pirate "Do you agree on cooperating with the royal navy and sail to the New World under my flag in exchange for your life?"

The doctor grinned for himself. It was so typical for Nami to offer something that seemed incredibly generous, like his life, and destroy the illusion after she got what she wanted. In this case, she was offering Kid his life, but not his freedom. That meant he would end in the Tower after his return. But that was simply how the politics of this time worked. Nothing more and nothing less.

"My life?" the redhead grinned at her. "Do you really believe I would sell myself just to save it?"

The scowl on Zoro's face spoke volumes about how he felt seeing the Queen being mocked by such a man.

Hawkins, who didn't say a word yet, finally decided to interfere. "If you agree to join the expedition, your crew will be set free."

Kid's eyes went wide at these words while his constant smirk disappeared for real. He should have realized sooner that the man standing behind her Majesty was Basil Hawkins, a former privateer who frequented the pubs in his hometown in the past. But he would have never guessed that the man knew about his main weakness.

"Agreed." the pirate spit out with a murderous glare.

* * *

_Warning: ZoNa, You can skip the part_

"Are you really sure about that?" Zoro asked while massaging the Queen's shoulders. They were lying in her enormously huge bed and chatting about random topics.

"I am. He is the best after all." Nami responded with a lazy grin. At first, she had been skeptical but she liked the idea better and better with every passing second. Why hadn't she come up with something like that herself? But that's why Robin was one of her most reliable counselors after all...

And Hawkins' cards finally predicting a good outcome of the trip was only the cherry on the top of the cake.

"But what about Law?" the pirate-hunter continued his questioning. The doctor was one of the few people frequenting the royal court who didn't look down on him.

"I believe the company of such a blunt and brutally honest person will do good for him. After his time in Spain he needs it more than anyone." Nami turned on her back, pulling Zoro to herself. "But now enough of that."

* * *

Not even a week later, a secret meeting, attended only by a small group consisting of the few insiders, namely Nami, Hawkins, X Drake, Zoro, Law, Kid, Robin, Robin's husband Franky who was a shipbuilder, Spandam, another noble who was financing the trip and Usopp, a cannon caster, was held to clear the final questions.

Many important things like the costs, ships, crew and the goals were discussed. They all managed to agree that they will sail with three ships, the Thousand Sunny build by Franky and two smaller ones.

The main goal of the journey, the Queen's direct order, was to draw a map of the world.

Nami herself would have wanted to draw it but her responsibilities as the Queen of England held her back and didn't allow such a dangerous trip. Especially not as there was no heir who would become the next king if she died during the journey.

This way, Kid, who had experience in drawing maps of any kind and had a wider knowledge about the matters than anybody else present, well maybe except her Majesty, was chosen to take care of the task.

Of course another aim was getting a hold on the Spanish gold as well, but with X Drake and Eustass Kid, two more than experienced pirates, everybody believed it would be fulfilled rather quickly.

As the time flew, everything could be set clear. Everything but the question of the crew, which carried the highest importance.

While the royals all insisted on getting the crew from the rows of the royal guards, the privateers and Kid believed that the best sailors could be found in the pubs of the great ports.

After hours of discussing, a final agreement was made: each party would choose a few of the best men they could find for the main ship while all the normal sailors and the crews for the smaller ships would be chosen by Hawkins.

Just in that moment, a young man, the Prince Monkey D Luffy, burst through the door, his ever present grin on his face.

"Are you planning an adventure?" he shouted "I want to go on an adventure!"

All the faces in the room went pale. Sure, the young man wouldn't have understood the real goal and he didn't have the patience nor the ability to listen while sitting behind the door all quietly for hours, but they had to fear that he would go and shout something into the world that would endanger their mission.

Quick looks were exchanged and a decision fell.

"Yes, Luffy. We are planning an adventure." Nami spoke, her eyes never leaving the young noble.

"Really? What kind of adventure? Can I join?" his eyes were literally sparkling.

Kid didn't even try to suppress his grin. He hadn't met somebody so dumb and enthusiastic at the same time for ages.

"You can." the Queen answered "Under one condition: You won't tell anybody about it."

"You are the best, Nami!" Luffy pulled her into a hug, making Spandam's jaw drop, while everybody else looked completely unimpressed. Even Kid. Her Majesty has already destroyed all illusions he had had.

"But what about Gramps?" the boy asked with a serious face as he finally let her go. Garp, Luffy's grandfather was one of the conservatives who opposed Nami's strategy and her support for privateers. Moreover, the old Lord used to fight them as a part of the royal marine in the past.

"I will take care of that." Robin promised, earning herself a hug as well.

With that, the meeting finally came to an end, leaving everybody time to think about whom they wanted to suggest as a part of the crew as it was agreed that they would go and choose the sailors the following day.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Hawkins led the five men, Law, X Drake, Kid, Zoro, Spandam, and Robin, who would choose the crew to the huge dining room the royal marines and guards used to take their meals in.

They passed dozens and dozens of tables until it was clear that he was aiming for a certain table in the back, where a single man with long blond hair was sitting all by himself.

"This is Killer." he gestured towards the blonde. "He has sailed under my command before and is one of the most skilled sailors I have ever met.-"

"Excuse me, Sirs and Lady!" a boy called from behind the group before Hawkins had the chance to continue. He had short black hair and a hat under his arm that had the word Penguin on it and two trays with food in his hands. A second boy, this time a ginger with a green hat under his arm, was following close after him, carrying another tray.

The Penguin boy placed one of the trays in front of Killer who muttered a quiet thank you and he and the other boy sat down.

"You should leave again." Hawkins spoke to the boys who exchanged confused looks before looking at Killer.

"If you are looking for men they should stay." the blonde replied, finally looking at the other and revealing the scars covering his face as he lifted his head.

While Spandam didn't look all too happy with the choice of the men and kept gesturing towards people like Morgan, who was immediately described by Zoro as an asshole of the highest caliber or Smoker who couldn't leave as he hold a position too important to be left empty or filed with somebody less skilled, the others concentrated on the men Hawkins chose.

After a short talk with Killer, Penguin and Shachi it was decided that the blonde would take the position of the quarter master on the main ship and the two others these of cabin boys.

They spend another two hours in the hall, but nobody else sparked their interest.

Looking for skilled sailors in the pubs showed itself even more difficult as Spandam refused to set a foot into the taverns and pubs Kid suggested. Even as everybody else and even Killer, who's position as quarter master made him go with them, believed they should enter one of these places. It took a lot of arguing and X Drake to tell Spandam that he could "Go fuck himself and stay behind" until the lord finally agreed.

Unfortunately, in the first two places they didn't find anybody who looked more or less reliable. In the third tavern on the other hand, two men stood out from the beginning. One of them was tall and huge, wearing a dark cape while the second had light blue dreadlocks and a lot of scars. Kid informed the others that these two men used to work on ships and in the docks for a while now and therefore had a lot of experience.

After a few words, Wire, the taller of the guys, admitted to mostly work as a rigger which got him the interest of all those who understood at least a bit of sailing.

It didn't take long and Wire and his friend, Heat, agreed to become a part of the crew. Heat could work as a rigger as well or help in the kitchen if needed.

The group left the place content to have found some reliable sailors. The optimism didn't last long as Spandam started to protest about not wanting to eat anything a "rat" cooked as they met one of Zoro's childhood-friends, Sanji.

The others had to hold the cook so he wouldn't kill the man while Zoro kept mocking his friend until Robin told him to stop.

The man agreed to join them anyway, mostly only thanks to the raven beauty pulling out her charms. But the thought of having a skilled ships cook lifted the mood again.

Just as Spandam and even Hawkins wanted to give up the search, Kid spotted a woman he knew in the mass. It was a pink-haired beauty and a pirate herself, Jewelry Bonney.

"What do you want?" she growled as the redhead seated himself opposite her.

"I am looking for crew members." he barely said the words and the woman had already spilled water into his face.

"Don't be a bitch and join us." he continued calmly. Bonney was a childhood-friend and he knew that it didn't mean anything if she did things like that.

The pink-haired woman was glaring at him. "What is in for me?" she asked, her voice full of hatred. One of the things she couldn't stand was relying on others.

"You will get a new ship as your payment." Kid grinned. "I know that you are in as much trouble as I am."

"Women on board bring bad luck." Hawkins finally came over after checking out the rest of the pub and decided to join the conversation.

"Shut up!" Bonney, Kid and to everybody's surprise even Killer barked in union.

"Some of the best sailors I have met are women." the redhead added, before turning back to Bonney. "A ship. That's what you need, right?"  
The woman looked even more pissed as her problems were presented to her once again.

"Okay. But I want to be the mate at least." her gaze never left Kid.

"Agreed." he nodded, happy with himself.

With that, all the important positions were filled with experienced people. Counting Usopp, who wanted to go along and become a brave warrior of the sea while being the ship's master gunner, the crew of the Thousand Sunny counted three nobles, seven experienced sailors and pirates and three selectively chosen newbies together with about fifty simple crew members.

* * *

*Actual Quote from the series

* * *

**AN:** People on board + positions:

Bonney - mate

Killer – quarter Master

Pen - cabin boy for Law

Shachi – cabin boy for Spandam

Sanji - ships cook

Wire - rigger

Heat - rigger

X Drake -capt

Kid- sailing master, carpenter

Law- surgeon

Luffy – powder monkey

Usopp - master gunner

Spandam - guest

* * *

This chapter was betaed by Ventusio. Thank you (:


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Warning: some complete nonsense about attacking – I have no idea about tactical stuff,_

_mentions of violence and non-con_

The small fleet left London in the middle of the night, the course set for South America, with a planned stop in North Africa to reload the ships with provisions and water.

They didn't even circumnavigate the Iberian Peninsula before the first enemy ship appeared on the horizon. It was a Portuguese merchant ship coming back from the New World.

"So what are we going to do about that?" Killer stepped next to X Drake who was standing at the helm.

The captain didn't answer and continued watching the ship that came closer and closer every minute.

X Drake stayed silent, even as Kid, Law, Bonney and Spandam joined them. Only as the latter was about to open the mouth, the ginger decided to speak up.

"You" he turned to Kid "I want you to lead this attack and show us your skills as a pirate."

It would be an understatement to say that the redhead was surprised, but the same could be said about all the others as well, especially Spandam.

"Y-You... You can't..." the noble tried to protest but was silenced by the captain's glare.

"As you see, I can." the man exclaimed, before turning around and marching to the back of the ship. "Killer, call the crew together and help Mister Eustass out." he called over his shoulder, before disappearing into his cabin.

The blonde first mate left just after, going to fulfill the task assigned to him by the captain. As he was very skilled, the crew was assembled in less than a minute.

"Alright, folks." Kid shouted into the mass. "Those who have fought on the sea before shall rise their hand."

To his disappointment, only a few men did. Save for Killer and those four he had recruited himself, only Law and another four men, including Luffy, did. The redhead frowned, but a plan was already forming in his mind.

"Usopp! Take a few men down to the canons and prepare for battle! Hurry up and await further instructions!" he commanded the poor master gunner, who barely hid his surprise and fear. Nevertheless the long-nosed man chose a small group and left for the canons.

"As the ship is small and I don't expect more than thirty men on board, all of them weakened by the long cruise, those with experience will storm the ship at first, preferably the moment we manage to get near enough. Take them down, but don't kill unnecessarily." his eyes wandered from face to face. "Half of the remaining men should wait, fully armed, as a back-up on the ship and join the fight at command. The others will take care of the sailing."

Luckily, all the men present were part of the military, so the formation was up not long after, mostly thanks to Killer's help, who knew all of the men.

The only one, who didn't want to obey was Luffy, who has been send to join Usopp and act as a powder monkey, but wanted to fight. The boy argued about having enough experience and great fighting skills, but as Law forbid him to fight due to the fact that his neck would be on the line as well as X Drake's if something happened to him, Kid gave Bonney the amazing task to watch out for the boy. She would have killed the redhead on the spot, but they finally reached a distance from where they could fire the cannons at the enemy ship and there was no use in arguing anymore, making her accept her fate for the moment.

"Shoot!" Kid shouted and a dozen of cannon balls flew through the air, all hitting the surface around the ship. "Again!" the redhead yelled and this time, one of the cannon balls landed a direct hit on the main mast and broke it. The pirate grinned happily at the sight. Usopp hadn't lied about being the best cannon caster in the known world. His cannons really had a stronger firing power than any he had seen before.

With the enemy ship being slowed down to the minimum and favorable wind in the sails, it didn't take long for the Thousand Sunny to reach its prey.

The attack proceeded as planned, with the first group of men lead by Kid storming the enemy ship and calling the back-up only as all the men were defeated. Only minor injuries like small cuts were endured and there wasn't a single death as the Portuguese gave up relatively quickly.

The second step could seem completely unnecessary to those, who didn't know Kid, but the pirate was fully aware that it was crucial to not only get control, but also to keep it.

He ordered the crew to raid the treasures and load them onto their ship, leaning back and watching as the crew carried the heavy boxes full with gold and the smaller containers with spices. He hadn't expected so much loot from the small ship, but it seemed that it was a special delivery for king Crocodile himself.

The redhead grinned to himself at that thought and shot a look at Law who was currently observing the captain of the ship, a certain Mister Eleven as he introduced himself.

The pirate rose an eyebrow as Law slapped the man, before turning around and walking back on the Thousand Sunny.

Kid shrugged, not feeling like dealing with such drama, but continued watching the man anyway.

He had not spoken with the doctor much yet, only discussing the most pressing subjects. The redhead preferred to stay around his people, keeping a certain distance to those noble assholes.

The reloading proceeded without any further trouble, not counting the one box full of spices that fell into the ocean thanks to Luffy running into Shachi and Penguin and causing them to fall. The young prince jumped in immediately after, but forgot that he couldn't swim and Killer had to fish him out while the rest of the crew laughed at his expense.

The mess started as X Drake wanted to split up the gold, and made the mistake of congratulating Kid to a successful raid. It didn't matter that it had earned him the respect and trust of most crew-members and the leaders finally acknowledged his skills and potential. X Drake had been quite skeptic about the pirate before the departure, but he understood now that the redhead had the skill promised by his reputation.

The problem was the only member of the crew that still openly loathed him, Spandam, who started arguing that a pirate like Kid had no right to get a part of the loot, even as he was the one who took command.

"So you are suggesting that he doesn't get his share, just because you don't see it fit?" X Drake questioned, while Killer and Wire tried to hold back Kid who was about to kill the arrogant nobleman.

"He is nothing more than a pirate, one that shouldn't have been born on top of that!" the man exclaimed, full of himself. Spandam hadn't made a secret about what he thought of the redhead before they left and it was clear that his attitude hasn't changed.

But Law's did. The doctor hadn't had any interest in the pirate before, but as somebody who had had similar words addressed to him, he decided to step in.

"You are in no position to decide who should and who shouldn't be born." the young man spoke with a stern voice, glaring at the other noble, who was looking between him and the shouting redhead.

"You are all the same!" Spandam shouted before fleeing to his cabin. "Filthy scum!" he added from a safe distance.

X Drake only shook his head at that and proceeded with splitting up the loot. He, a common man who had gained all his wealth and power by himself, never liked the attitude of the lords, but there was no way for him to speak up his mind.

* * *

"You ain't no common man." Killer sat down next to Kid and gave the old bartender a short nod. "You have had some kind of military education."

"What do you want?" the redhead muttered in response, sipping his beer. He had hoped to be left alone for a while at least while they made the stop in this shitty African port, but no, the first mate had to come after him.

"I want to chat." the blonde replied, taking a sip from his own beer.

"Men like you don't chat." came the harsh reply, but the marine simply grinned.

"I have to admit that your attacking style left quite the impression. The others may believe that it developed through experiences, but you won't fool me. I've seen it before." the blonde spoke, watching the redhead carefully for any kind of reaction.

"Fuck off!" the pirate barked, making it obvious that he was feeling uncomfortable while discussing the topic.

"Thank you." Killer said and turned his attention to his beer. He didn't get all the answers he wanted, but it was more than he expected.

"Where have you seen it before?" Kid broke the silence after several shots of rum.

"I served under a certain Irish captain in the past." Killer replied, his stoic nature hiding his surprise about the question. "He was a brilliant sailor and an even better man." he added after a while.

The redhead grunted in acknowledgment and a heavy silence fell over the two men again, this time far more pleasant than before. It was obvious that they were talking about the same person, Jaguar D. Saul, who held special places in both their hearts.

There weren't many Irish captains in the royal marine in the past twenty years. Saul being the only one if Killer remembered correctly.

More and more glasses were emptied, and the men engaged in random conversation, exchanging opinions on weapons, strategy and the men on board.

"What's up with this doctor-guy, Law?" Kid changed the topic suddenly, finally stopping his rant about how much he hated Spandam and felt like castrating the man.

Killer rose one of his eyebrows, making his scars move in a grotesque way. "What do you mean?"

Kid shot his drinking companion a look that said more than hundred words. Killer has shown himself to be a brilliant observer before, so the question was absolutely unnecessary.

"He was raised on the Spanish court from an early age, but has been one of the Queen's favourites since he came back. It goes so far, that he has become one of her personal doctors. An interesting development, when you ask me." the blonde explained.

"He must have many enemies." Kid muttered darkly, emptying another mug of beer.

"He has. One of the most persistent ones is even sailing with us." Killer added with amusement. He didn't need to specify who he was talking about, as it was already more than obvious.

* * *

"Mylord?" Penguin stepped inside Law's cabin and closed the door carefully.

"What is it?" the doctor looked up from the papers he was studying in the dim light coming from the candle on his small table. He wasn't much of a drinker and had volunteered to stay on the ship with a bunch of sailors while the others went drinking in the local taverns. The man used the opportunity to catch up with his work, hoping to get it done undisturbed. His hopes were destroyed with the arrival of his cabin boy.

"Can I talk to you about something?" the boy asked shyly, seeming to be quite unsure of himself.

The doctor nodded, putting the papers down. "Go ahead." he gave Penguin a reassuring smile.

"It's about Shachi..." the boy hesitated for a short moment. "He acts weird."

"Explain." Law was genuinely interested now. Something had to be really wrong if the cheerful cabin boy was concerned for his friend like this.

"He seems to be absent-minded most of the time and doesn't want to tell me what's wrong. He jumps up every time somebody touches him and I am not entirely sure, but sometimes it looks as if he's limping." Penguin stuttered. "That's why I wanted to ask if he could be ill..."

The doctor frowned. "Does he sit down a lot?" he asked carefully.

"Thinking about it, he doesn't..." the cabin boy replied, looking at Law with expectations.

"I will talk to him and take care of it." the noble replied, already going over all the details again. He couldn't be sure about it yet, but from the description he just got, it seemed that Spandam used his cabin boy in more than the usual way. But he wasn't going to tell Penguin that. Not yet at least. It would cause a mess if he did.

"Thank you so much!" the boy shouted relieved, already back in his usual cheerful way.

Law smiled at him weakly, before turning back to his papers. His mind however was still going over the current situation. He would kill Spandam if he had really raped Shachi. So much was for sure. Nobody should be allowed to do something so cruel and get out of it unpunished. And definitely not Spandam of all people.

TBC


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Warning: Character death, mentions of non-con_

"What the fuck is going on?" Confusion showed on Kid's face upon seeing the armed men running around the deck. He had had the late night watch and just woke up because of the noise.

It seemed as if there was a big fight going on. Why did nobody wake him up and where the fuck were the enemies?  
"Assemble, soldiers! Assemble over there!" Killer's voice echoed over the ship. "Put the fucking sword away! Yeah, you over there or I will show you how I got my nickname!" the massacre soldier growled.

"What the fuck is going on?" Kid grabbed Usopp in passing.

"Um, oh!" the long-nosed man's body shook violently. "Well... Um... As it sssseems.. there is a riot? I..I don't know? Please don't kill me!" the cannon caster whinned.

The redhead let off him immediately and took his rifle.

One warning shot. More wasn't needed to get the attention of the soldiers around him.

"Listen carefully, royal dogs! I have no fucking clue who brainwashed you into this and I honestly don't fucking care! But if you don't stop, I will skin you alive. All of you. One by one! Understood?!" he looked around, his golden eyes shining in the morning sun, giving him something demonic.

Nobody moved.

"Good. Now act like the little cute lapdogs you are supposed to be and follow the commands of your Quarter Master! Go!" he shouted before making his way to the main deck.

"Grab that idiot and take him with you as well!" the redhead muttered when Luffy passed by, pointing towards Usopp who was still shaking. He didn't care if he was a prince or something. On a ship, stuff like that didn't matter. The brat had to listen. The redhead walked away before one of them could complain.

"Oh, you are awake?" Kid was greeted by the doctor, who stopped yelling at the men in front of him, his sword in his hand.

"Go and line up with the others!" Law ordered the soldiers. "As it seems, Spandam has organized a riot against X Drake after their fight, and he succeeded partially."  
"Oh? Is that so?" the pirate was fuming. "I hope I get the chance to tear his head of!"

"We will see who's pleasure that will be." Law grinned.

There was something wild and dark around the noble that hadn't been there before. Kid liked that. But he didn't get the chance to further investigate.

"Everybody to the main deck!" Killer's voice rang over the ship once again and the two men followed the order immediately, aware that absolute obedience had the highest priority right now.

"Listen!" X Drake was marching in front of his soldiers, his hand on his sword at all times, his shoulders stiff. "I won't punish any of you." the captain looked down the rows of the soldiers. But I can't tolerate rebellion as it is directed against me and thus also against Her Majesty the Queen and therefore the man who demoralizes you, faithful sailors, any further!" He turned on his heels, pointing the sword at Spandam's throat.

"What do you have to say?" X Drake roared just as the ship was hit by a huge wave, causing Spandam to fall on his ass in front of him and almost piercing himself at the captain's sword.

"I am waiting!" the ginger roared, looking down at the man crawling in front of him with utter disgust.

"As you are a respected nobleman, your punishment will be imprisonment in your cabin and you will be send to face a court when we arrive back in England." X Drake was about to put his sword away when Law stepped forward.

"There is something you should know in my eyes, as it may affect your sentence." the doctor was calm on the surface, but the strange darkness Kid had noticed earlier surrounded him again. "Shachi! Step forward!"

"Y-Yes, Sir?" the boy squeaked in surprise, but did as he was told.

"I await honesty as you answer my questions." Law announced while confusion showed on all the faces around him. Only Penguin looked worried.

"Did Lord Spandam, whose cabin boy you are, touch you like he would touch a woman, Shachi?" the boy looked away, obviously feeling uncomfortable, but answered anyway. "Yes, Sir." he said quietly.

"Did he do it without your consent?" the doctor continued questioning.

Shachi shook his head as his eyes became watery. "Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, Shachi. Now go and get some sleep. Penguin, go with him!" Law's voice was much softer than his expression suggested.

When the two boys left, the man turned to X Drake.

"That's all." he muttered and moved back to stand next to Killer and Bonney, who was hissing at Luffy that he would have to ask somebody else, preferably Law or Killer, and she wouldn't explain anything to him. Especially not what was meant by touching like he would touch a woman.

"Lies! All lies!" Spandam, who finally awoke from the shock shouted. "That Spanish rat wants to get rid of me! That's why he came up with that story and payed the stupid cabin boys to play along!"

"Too bad that we saw Shachi limping a few days ago." Bonney commented drily, stopping Killer from jumping at the noble and ripping him apart on the sport as he couldn't stand when somebody insulted or falsely accused his comrades.

That was enough for X Drake. "Starting a riot and thus rebelling against the Captain of this ship and Her Majesty the Queen, lying to said Captain and violating a crew-member are the most serious crimes one could commit on a ship apart from attacking and killing a crew-mate. And you are proven guilty of all three!" he swung his sword. "With this and the authority given to me by God and Her Majesty the Queen, I sentence you to death!"

It was all quiet when Spandam's body hit the deck. The sailors and soldiers didn't dare to move. Only as X Drake's voice echoed over the deck once again, the mass woke up from the shock.

"Clean it up!" the Captain ordered before leaving the place to retreat into his cabin, letting Killer take the control once again.

* * *

"How did you get that information?" Killer was studying Law, when Kid walked into the kitchen.

Quite the unusual constellation could be found in the small room.

Sanji was cooking as expected, but there was no reason for Law and Killer to be there, not to mention for Bonney.

"Penguin asked me to investigate those strange symptoms Shachi showed." The doctor shrugged as if it was nothing. "And as I have some experience-"  
"Shut up!" Bonney interrupted the doctor before he could say anything weird, her face red as a tomato. "I must already deal with him!" she swung her hand into Kid's direction. "I don't need another psycho to tell me about his experiences!"

"Oh really? Do those pigs talk to you about such dirty things, my lady?" Bonney jumped up in surprise when the cook appeared next to her out of nowhere.

"What the hell?! I am leaving!" she hissed and grabbed Killer's hand, pulling him after herself.

"Well...?" Kid had trouble to not laugh out aloud. It was just so much like Bonney that she already found herself a mate. And this time, he had to admit that she chose well.

He glanced at the two others. While Law was looking rather amused, Sanji stood there obviously speechless.

But only for about a two seconds.

"You two! What did you do? The only lady on this shitty ship and she just left me alone because of you! Bastards! Out of my kitchen! Now! And stop laughing!" he yelled, looking even more pissed than X Drake in the afternoon.

The two men left, grinning at each other as they left the hot room.  
"I understand now why Zoro said that he could be annoying at times." Law chuckled darkly.

"Well, the time without women is getting to him." Kid stated drily. "It isn't that unusual."  
"Oh, does it affect you as well, Mister Eustass?" Law had that dark aura around him once again when he looked at Kid.

"What is it to you, dear Doctor?" the redhead saw the game he was invited to play, and he wasn't going to let pass anything that could turn out as exciting.

"I have never been out on the sea for so long, that's why I am interested in the effects it can have on a man."

"Sure." Kid let out a low laugh. "Wanna get a drink, while you do your research?"

* * *

Rum. Rum did always wonders on a ship.

And having Law sit next to him, wearing not more than his trousers made Kid wonder since when he had a thing for the doctor.

Sure, they were on the ship for several weeks now, maybe several months, he wasn't too sure as it was X Drake's job to keep the journal, but he hadn't talked to the doctor too much before.

On the other hand, it was nothing unusual for Kid to think that a man was attractive. He could enjoy the company of both, men and women.

"What ya thinking about, Mister Eustass?" Law was watching him from the corner of his eyes.

"Just today's events." the redhead lied, aware that the two of them didn't know each other at all. He usually trusted his crew-mates, but this wasn't his ship and his crew. It was a royal ship, and the other was a noble.

"Really?" there was something very suggestive in the doctor's voice.

"Yeah." Kid took a gulp from the almost empty bottle. "I think it is very amusing that Bonney and Killer have a thing going on." he didn't even bother anymore to try and talk formally to Law.

The other would respond in usual street manner mixed with some Spanish slang words anyway.

"Why do ya speak Spanish anyway, Trafalgar?" the redhead blurred out. Not that he wanted to know it so bad, but when he drank, he skipped the thinking part and verbalized most of his thoughts immediately.

"It's a long story." Law sighed, gazing at the wall with empty eyes. "When my parents and my sister died, it happened that a Spanish noble kinda adopted me."

Kid rose an eyebrow at that. The doctor had managed to put into one sentence as much and as little as possible at the same time.

"But there are more pleasant things than talking about my past by far." the doctor leaned towards Kid even more, back in the state he was before Kid asked the question.

"Really?" The redhead wasn't sure if he was reading the signs correctly and even more, if Law was sober enough to realize what he was doing.

"You bet." Trafalgar grinned as he pressed his lips against Kid's slowly. He wasn't in a hurry and waited for the others reaction.

The two of them kissed lazily like that for maybe a minute, sitting next to each other, two as good as empty bottles of rum next them, until the door opened.

"I-I am so sorry!" Shachi squeaked, shutting the door loudly.

"What did you want?" Law had jumped up before Kid realized what was going on.

"X Drake wants to see you two!" the boy shouted from the other side of the door.

Kid groaned. What the fuck was going on now? But there was his shirt in his face before he could protest. Of course, Law was going to follow the command.

And he was as well, if he wanted or not. The hard-on in his pants didn't matter now. Nor did the one in Law's pants.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I am sorry that the update took so long but I had a pretty severe case of writers' block, especially for this story.**

**I would really appreciate reviews and concrit.**

* * *

Bonney shot Kid a questioning look when he entered with Law, shirts unplugged and all.

X Drake and Killer proceeded to ignore them as they studied a map, but Kid was sure Killer noticed anyway. He always did as it seemed.

"What did you want?" Kid asked, trying to sound as sobber as possible. Not that he was completely wasted, but a bottle of rum was a bottle of rum.

"Come here." Drake commanded, pointing at a certain place on the map.

"Where are we?" Law asked while Kid moved to stand next to Killer in silence.

"Not far away from the American coast." Drake announced. "That's why I called you here. We will hit land soon. We have to be careful – there will most likely be enemy ships."

Kid stared at the map. "We need to get fresh food and water, right?" he asked, studying the document.

"And you call yourself "Captain."."Bonney snorted. "Of course we do, idiot! Our last stop was months ago!"

"Shut up Bonney! It was a rhetorical question!" Kid barked back with annoyance.

"Oh, you know such a word Mister Eustass? I am impressed." Law commented, making Killer laugh, while Kid and Bonney glared at each other.

"Stop those childish quarrels." X Drake massaged his temples, not even looking at the culprits that caused his headache. "It's late and I want to get this done as soon as possible. I need all of you to understand the plan so we can actually go with it and succeed. Our course is set on a Spanish town and we don't know how they will react – but it won't be very friendly and welcoming. I don't want to lose ship and men. Our success here will be cruicial for later. So don't fuck it up!"

* * *

It was early morning when the whole crew assembled on the main deck. They decided to enter the port with the morning tide, getting there as fast as possible and surprising their enemies. It was safer than waiting for the afternoon tide as one could be sure that people would be awake by than.

"Prepare for combat!" X Drake yelled into crowd. "Keep your guard up!"

"What do you see?" Kid shouted up to Usopp who was keeping the watch in the crow's next in the meantime.

"There are some ships in the port but it doesn't seem like any of them would be leaving soon!" Usopp shouted back, almost falling down as he leaned way too far over the railing.

"Drake!" Kid approached the captain to pass on the information. "It doesn't seem like there will be any sea combat. We should be prepared to fight on land."

X Drake nodded to show that he had heard him.

"We need to talk about a battle strategy," Kid didn't let go. "Is there somebody who is experienced and skilled in fighting on land?" he emphasized the second part of the sentence to signalize that experience itself wasn't enough.

"I am," Law stepped next to him, buttoning his uniform as if there wasn't a possible fight in front of them.

"If I die I want to look good while doing that," he muttered when he saw Kid's look.

"What?" the redhead blurted out.

"I was joking," Law rolled his eyes and followed X Drake who had moved to the front of the ship in the meanwhile.

"Let's go!" X Drake yelled and suddenly everything started moving. Kid saw Killer pull up one of the anchors together with the two cabin boys, Heat and Wire did they job and most of the soldiers ran around deck, pulling on ropes and taking their weapons. Some even adjusted their uniforms like Law. What a madness.

The arrival in the port wasn't as spectacular as everybody expected. Nobody paid the English ship attention and the people proceeded with their everyday life as if nothing was happening.

Only one single dark-haired young man in expensive clothing approached the ship when it finally docked in.

He waited patiently till the plank was placed and X Drake, Law and Kid walked down to the dock while the crew with Killer and Bonney in the front line stood guard, weapons in their hands.

"Good morning, gentlemen," the young man greeted the three. "My name is Portgas D. Ace and I was send by the Governor Marco de Azul of this fine city to welcome you and ask you to follow me so you can meet up with him and discuss further matters. We don't want a pointless fight and are ready to cooperate with you."

X Drake looked Ace up and down before he finally nodded. "I will meet up with the Governor. If you allow, I'll change into more fitting garments and me and my companions will join you soon."  
"Of course," Ace agreed with a soft smile. "I'll come back in an hour," he bowed lightly.

X Drake nodded and turned around to walk the plank up back to the ship while Law watched Ace carefully out of the corner of his eye as he left.

"Killer, take care of getting the supplies. Take Sanji and some other people and go to the market. Bonney, you will guard the ship together with the remaining soldiers. Law and Kid will go with me, Penguin, Shachi you two too," X Drake commanded in passing as he walked to his cabin. "I want everyone to keep their guard up as long as we don't know what is going on. This is suspicious!"

"What are you waiting for?" Law asked Kid when Drake finally disappeared.

Kid shot him a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"  
"Go change!" Law said in that tone that pissed Kid out while rolling his eyes. "You heard what Drake said."  
"Shut up!" Kid growled but left nonetheless, leaving Law with a smug grin plastered all over his face behind.

* * *

Kid was dressed like a marine soldier when he joined Law and Drake who wore their respective uniforms showing their status as representatives of the Queen herself. On top of that Law carried a small case that he handed to Kid when he finally arrived. "Don't loose that," he commanded, making Kid roll his eyes.

"You act like I am some incapable idiot," the redhead muttered.

"Aren't you exactly that?" Law continued his teasing. "They caught you after all."

"You..." Kid growled.

"Stop acting like children;" X Drake interfered with a sigh. "There are important matters we need to take care of."

Kid shot Law an angry glare but didn't speak again while Law had a smug grin on his face.

"Lead us to the Governor," X Drake commanded Ace who had been waiting for them at the church just like they agreed.

"Of course, sir," he replied with another light bow. "Follow me."

Ace lead the small group through the city for about ten minutes until they arrived in front of a huge building in a colonial style. He stepped to the door and knocked three times on it – the door opened and revealed two men holding the door open who nodded at Ace and waited patiently until the group passed before closing the door.

Kid eyed them suspiciously but them didn't pay him any attention as they pulled out books just after the door closed and sat down on their chairs that stood next to it. The redhead rose an eyebrow but decided to let it be for the time being and followed the others upstairs to where Ace led them.

Again, he stopped before a door and knocked three times on it but this time he opened the door himself when a "Come in" could be heard from the inside. He held the door open for the others and than walked to stand behind the somewhat older blond man who had to be the Governor of this city.

"Welcome," the man spoke and stood up when Ace pulled away his heavy chair. "My name is Marco de Azur and I was appointed as the Governor of this city by the king Doflamingo himself." he fell silent for a moment. "But that doesn't mean that I am not ready to cooperate or be on good terms with other nations for that matter. In fact, it's my duty to do what's best for this city even if I disregard some – let's call them not that thought out – commands, yoi."

Silence fell over the room for a moment as all the men in the room studied each other after Marco's short speech.

"My name is X Drake and I am in direct service of her Majesty Queen of England Nami," Drake broke the silence. "This is Earl Trafalgar Law a respected English noble," Law did a small bow similar to Ace's when Drake introduced him "and this is Eustass Kid who has joined us for this voyage."

Kid nodded instead of bowing but it didn't seem like anybody was interested anyway.

"We don't want more than refill our supplies and take a small break of a few days before we continue our trip," X Drake informed Marco. "Our crew is already buying food and water at the market so we can take of in two days."  
A small smile appeared on Marco's face. "I am pleased to hear that. I want this city to be a neutral trading center, disregarding our status as a Spanish colony. There is no use in getting in pointless fights and losing people and wealth."  
"Wise words," Drake replied calmly.

"I will appoint you Ace here," Marco put a hand on the younger man's shoulder, "to accompany you during your stay here and to show you around. We don't have such high guests very often."  
Ace shot Marco a weird look but didn't speak up while Kid and Law exchanged glances, thinking the same: Ace was supposed to watch them. Still – Marco could become an important ally for England if everything turned out right.

"Thank you, it's very considerate of you." X Drake stood there, watching the two Spanish men in front of men carefully, trying to see through their plan.

"Of course. But if you could leave now, there is work waiting for me," Marco pulled his arm away from Ace, who immediately walked to the door to open it for the English to leave.

* * *

Killer entered the kitchen where Kid was reading in a book. "Why aren't you out like everybody else?" he asked. "We are finally on land. You should get drunk and have some fun."  
Kid looked up from his book and shot Killer a questioning glance. "Why aren't you out with them. I know for sure that you aren't appointed to the night watch."  
"I'll leave soon," Killer replied as he sat down opposite Kid.

"Sure, looks exactly like that," the redhead's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Killer didn't reply to that and instead pulled Kid's book away to find out what he was reading.

The redhead rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I want you to take Law and get out a bit. That guy speaks Spanish and that way you can find out what the hell is going on in this city. But he won't go alone." Killer replied and gave Kid his book back.

"So you heard about the Governor?" Kid asked and shut the book close. As it seemed he wouldn't have a chance to continue reading it anyway.

Killer nodded. "I don't know what to think about it." he confessed.

"It's weird." Kid agreed and stood up. "I will do it. But you owe me a drink."

* * *

Law was sitting next to Kid in the local tavern, looking absolutely displeased. "Why the fuck do _I _have to do this?" he whispered.

"Nobody else speaks Spanish," Kid replied with equal annoyance. "It may make the guy trust you."  
"Sure," Law rolled his eyes and downed the glass of rum in front of him. "Like a little language knowledge would change shit. Besides they speak English."

"There's a huge difference between being spoken to in your native language and in a foreign one, especially if it is the language of the enemy," Kid hissed back. "I know what I'm talking about."  
"Like Irish was a language," Law hissed back but stood up to walk over to the table where Ace was sitting alone, watching the guests.

Kid stayed where he was, deciding to not interfere with the talk. Instead, he looked around in the tavern with interest. After all, it was his first time being so far away from home. This was America, a completely new and mostly unknown continent with unknown cultures.

Speaking of which, there was a couple sitting in the back of the tavern. Both had black hair styled in unusual ways and a darker skin than any European Kid ever met. They were dressed like everybody else, but Kid was sure that those two were natives.

"What's wrong?" Killer interrupted his line of thoughts when he sat down next to him.

"Do you see those two?" Kid motioned to the couple. "I am sure they are natives."

"Are you saying that-?" Killer asked slowly.

"It would make maneuvering around here a lot easier." Kid muttered.

Killer stared at the two for a while. "We can't force them," he mumbled after a while. "No, we can't act like the Spaniards."  
"What do you want to do?" Kid asked with interest. He had heard about Killer being a master in seeing through people but he had never seen it in action yet.

"I will talk to them," the blonde announced and stood up again.

"You were right." Law joined Kid again just seconds after Killer left.

"He was," the redhead pointed at Killer. "What did you find out?"  
"The Spanish king isn't liked here. The taxes he takes are too high and a lot of people basically fled here to save their sorry asses." Law explained.

"That's not surprising at all," Kid muttered. "But are you sure he told you the truth? You saw that Marco-guy and how close they are. It wouldn't be impossible to set that up."  
"To a foreigner to the Spanish court life there would be a possibility that they are setting that up. But as I am none, I assure you that they aren't. He spoke about their respective family being forced to leave Spain after a certain incident." Law took a huge gulp. "They dared to oppose Doflamingo on the matter of Corazon. I see them as trustworthy."  
Kid watched the other in silence, not being able to tell what the expression on his face meant. But he wasn't going to pry for the time being.


End file.
